We are at a time of the convergence of the personal computer with audio and video single use appliances. Because the power of the newest CPU's exceeds the requirements for operating typical home or office software applications a niche market has developed for low-power CPU's requiring less than 10 watts to operate which are capable of running home and office software. This market is gaining market share because they can serve as Internet appliances and multimedia players without the need for cooling fans thus creating a nearly silent computer. Such a computer can be placed inconspicuously in any home or office setting and function as a stereo and television in addition to a personal computer. The low-powered processor introduced by VIA as the EPIA M series in 2002 was joined in the spring of 2004 by the Geode NX line by AMD. Intel is planning a line of low powered CPU's called the Dothan range of Pentium M mobile to be introduced in 2005-06.
Low-powered processors enable computers to be welcome anywhere in a home or office, but it is the Internet that is driving the need for convergence appliances. Specifically, it is high-speed broadband Internet. Using broadband a user can receive video at broadcast quality (full-screen at 30 fps). There are a number of Internet companies offering subscription services for radio, music, and video programming including Apple Computer, Microsoft, MusicMatch, Real Networks and Roxio. Broadband Internet holds the promise to expand into programming identical to broadcast media thus challenge cable and satellite TV companies for program selection and interactive offerings. In addition, to increase competition for local telephone service the FCC has approved voice over Internet protocol, VoIP. While corporations have had VoIP for some time companies, such as Clearwire and Vonage, now offer consumers VoIP via a broadband Internet connection.
Finally, while low-powered processors have opened all rooms in the home and places in the office to the PC, and the internet has made the PC a multimedia and communications convergence appliance, it is the maturing of wireless networking that has made this invention viable. The electromagnetic spectrum is divided between low power for LAN providing homes and offices interconnectivity and high-power that allow as for municipal wide broadband networking. This invention is made to be part of a home or office LAN, and a municipal broadband network.
Therefore, a purpose of this invention is to provide an appliance that incorporates internet and personal computer functions that is welcome in any room of a home or place in an office and that can be networked to other embodiments of this invention and other network enabled appliances.
Existing computer, audio and video appliance art utilize old designs and are not made to take advantage of internet services made feasible by broadband internet. Personal computer manufacturers having been focusing resources on making portable connectivity tools, such as Apple Computer's iPod, various PDA's, ever smaller portable computers and smart phones. Little has been done to address a stationary convergence broadband Internet appliance other than to make smaller form factor computers or desktop all-in-one units that while usable are not convenient to use, nor offer hi-fi quality sound, nor are they seamlessly integrated. All computer based broadband appliances were created originally as word-processors not as multimedia Internet appliances, whereas this invention is made explicitly for broadband Internet service offerings into a single easy to use appliance.
Audio and video equipment manufacturers offer DVD/CD players that can read MP3 files on CDR disks and make receivers that may have an Ethernet connection to serve as an audio appliance for a networked home. Startup companies are building media hubs and digital video recorders to time-shift media programs for user benefit. Each of these manufacturers is addressing single purpose appliances and not a convergence broadband Internet appliance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,877 (Ryan) describes a mounting arrangement for computers. Ryan's solution has nothing to do with being an ergonomic work-surface with all computing and electronics housed in a single unit, nor is it is portable. It also does not contain an audio amplifier. It also does not provide an integrated input means. And finally, it is not used as the work surface for the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,042,716 (Shearman) describes another mounting arrangement for computers. Though it at least mounts in front of the user, it is not portable; it does not provide an integrated input means, nor does it contain an audio amplifier for internet appliance use.